Christmas Abbott threw herself on her sword to secure an important alliance on Wednesday’s episode of Big Brother All-Stars.
In a surprising move, the 35-year-old fitness trainer asked Head of Household Enzo Palumbo, 42, to put her up for eviction at the next elimination ceremony.
Her decision came after Kevin Campbell, 40, won the week’s ‘golden power of the veto’ and removed himself from the chopping block, to which he’d been named with Kaysar Ridha, 39.
Sacrificial move: Christmas Abbott threw herself on her sword to secure an important alliance on Wednesday’s episode of Big Brother All-Stars
Christmas figured that Kaysar was ’99 percent’ likely to attract all the eviction votes anyway, so she volunteered to act as a ‘pawn’ in the game, to keep Enzo from ruffling feathers.
‘I’m a little worried that it might make me look easily expendable,’ she said to the cameras. ‘But this is going to solidify my trust with Enzo, and keep the house from thinking we’re working together, like we are.’
Christmas was part of BB All-Stars’ key alliance, The Committee, which included Cody Calafiore, 29, Tyler Crispen, 23, Dani Donato, 33, Nicole Franzel, 28, and Robert ‘Memphis’ Garrett, 37.
She still aimed to forge a bond with Enzo, who was part of another alliance called the Slick Six, with Tyler, Dani, Cody, Da’Vonne Rogers, 32, and Bayleigh Dayton, 27.
Tough decision: In a surprising move, the 35-year-old fitness trainer asked Head of Household Enzo Palumbo, 42, to put her up for eviction at the next elimination ceremony
All week, the general feeling in the house had been that Kaysar was going to be evicted.
‘I’m not surprised I’m up on the block,’ he said in a confessional. ‘There’s a bigger group in this house, and they’re operating like the mob, taking out every person who has some sort of association with Janelle.’
Kaysar’s longtime ally, Janelle Pierzina, 40, had been a huge target in the house, and got evicted in a run-off with him last week.
Eviction nominee: Kaysar Ridha, 39, remained a nominee for eviction
Kevin, meanwhile, had been upset by what he perceived as an ’embarrassing’ nomination and Enzo tried to console him.
‘Everyone wants Kaysar out, so I got to put somebody up there that no one is coming after,’ the insurance adjuster said. ‘I hate to say ”pawn,” but that’s what it is. You are good with everybody; everyone likes you. And that’s the reason why I did this.’
Kevin, who’d been put up for elimination before, didn’t buy it.
‘The excuse of ”I like you, so I’m gonna put you on the block” deserves an eye-roll,’ he noted. ‘That doesn’t make any sort of sense. And just for the record, I’m a queen, not a pawn.’
Eye roll: ‘The excuse of ”I like you, so I’m gonna put you on the block” deserves an eye-roll,’ Kevin Campbell noted. ‘That doesn’t make any sort of sense. And just for the record, I’m a queen, not a pawn.’
Kaysar went to speak to Enzo, too, hoping to convince the man to shift his allegiances and considering that ‘even though he nominated me, in Big Brother, things change on a dime.’
Enzo was not immediately receptive to his entreaties, saying, ‘I’m not going against the grain.’
He told Kaysar that he would work with him if he ended up staying, but privately admitted, ‘The only relationship we’re going to have is a long-distance one, with you outside the house.’
Nice try: Kaysar went to speak to Enzo, too, hoping to convince the man to shift his allegiances and considering that ‘even though he nominated me, in Big Brother, things change on a dime’
While Kaysar’s role as a nominee for eviction seemed secure, some of the other houseguests were nervous that they might end up replacing Kevin if he won the veto competition.
David Alexander, 30, who’d recently made a huge mistake by revealing to pals that Tyler was part of two alliances, was aware that he’d become a target.
Ian Terry, 29, also thought he might be a possible nominee for eviction, and tried to shore up his connection to Enzo by discussing strategy with him.
Strategy talk: Ian Terry, 29, also thought he might be a possible nominee for eviction, and tried to shore up his connection to Enzo by discussing strategy with him
‘He’s already talking about replacement nominees,’ Enzo complained in a confessional. ‘You just started talking to me bro! Relax. I don’t want none of that bad juju in my HoH room. Hopefully the noms stay the same for your sake. And if not, you’re definitely on my radar.’
When Enzo told Cody about it later, Cody agreed that Ian could be a threat.
‘Ian is so smart and just incredible at this game,’ he mused. ‘Letting him continue to move forward could be a problem.’
As the days dragged on, Memphis and Kaysar got bored waiting to see what would happen.
Getting bored: As the days dragged on, Memphis and Kaysar got bored waiting to see what would happen’
They made up their own talk show, called ‘Mornings with Memphis’, on which they guessed what the current news headlines might be outside the house.
‘Kim Kardashian-West, she’s on a book tour in South Africa,’ Memphis surmised, and then corrected himself, saying she was ‘probably moving the TESLA plant to Mars.’
Their idyll was soon interrupted as the house came together for the veto competition.
Morning show: They made up their own talk show, called ‘Mornings with Memphis’, on which they guessed what the current news headlines might be outside the house
Kaysar, Kevin and Enzo were a lock to play, and they picked Tyler, Bayleigh, and David to join them.
For the game, they were strung up like marionettes, then robotically jerked around by their strings, as colorful goo was flung at them.
Everyone was amazed when Kevin won the power of veto and he wept when he said, ‘This veto is here to prove, ”Do not underestimate Kevin on All-Stars. I’m here to fight!”’
Veto competition: Kaysar, Kevin and Enzo were a lock to play, and they picked Tyler, Bayleigh, and David to join them for the veto competition
Enzo, who’d hoped that he wouldn’t have to make another pick for eviction, was suddenly faced with choosing someone, and considered Ian.
That’s when Christmas offered herself up as a pawn, suggesting to Enzo that he nominate her for eviction so that the vote would clearly shift against Kaysar.
Dani, who was a member of the Slick Six, approached Tyler to tell him they needed a meeting.
Christmas offer: Christmas offered herself up as a pawn, suggesting to Enzo that he nominate her for eviction so that the vote would clearly shift against Kaysar
She made the mistake of speaking to him about it in front of Nicole, who hadn’t known that Tyler had two alliances.
Tyler feigned ignorance, but privately said, ‘Dani being this messy is not good for my game.’
Enzo was outraged to learn of Dani’s mistake, as he’d wanted to keep the Slick Six a secret.
Not happy: Enzo was outraged to learn of Dani Briones’s mistake, as he’d wanted to keep the Slick Six a secret
Her error made his decision about who to put up for eviction even harder.
‘I could take the easy route and put up Christmas as my pawn, or I could throw up Ian right now, too, as an ex-champion, or I could put up Dani, which, I don’t trust her to begin with,’ he said. ‘I got so much going in my mind right now, and I need to figure this thing out, man.’
At the veto meeting, no one was surprised when Kevin used his new veto power to remove himself from the chopping block.
No surprise: At the veto meeting, no one was surprised when Kevin used his new veto power to remove himself from the chopping block
Enzo then nominated Christmas for eviction, acknowledging privately that she was ‘taking a bullet’ for him, but that Dani and Ian had gone to the top of his list as targets.
‘I couldn’t resist taking a shot right now when everyone wants Kaysar out,’ he explained.
For her part, Christmas was just hoping her decision didn’t backfire on her, noting that if things went awry, she might be walking out of the house ”wearing a dunce cap”.’
Big Brother All-Stars will return Thursday on CBS.
Risky move: For her part, Christmas was just hoping her decision didn’t backfire on her, noting that if things went awry, she might be walking out of the house ”wearing a dunce cap”